


when the bubblegum pops

by phichit-chu (howtobottlefame)



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Childhood Friends, Light Angst, M/M, or long lost childhood friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:53:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25684579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/howtobottlefame/pseuds/phichit-chu
Summary: Meis thinks again how it must be a cruel joke that they ended up here. Of all people, it had to be Gueira.He doesn’t remember, but Meis can’t forget.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	when the bubblegum pops

**Author's Note:**

> My contribution for the Firestorm Zine!

“What the  _ hell _ was that?” Meis says, angrier than he's been in a long time. But Gueira had really outdone himself. “I told you to get out of there.”

“I did what I had to! Can’t really say the same thing for you!” Gueira’s all but screaming now, uncaring about the concerned stares that are drawn their way. 

It was supposed to have been an easy mission, like most of them were until something inevitably went wrong. Somehow, the Freeze Force had already expected them, and before they could figure out what was happening they found themselves cornered. It would’ve been easy for the two of them, but they had younger Burnish with them, inexperienced and afraid, and getting them out safe was priority. But Gueira was brash and reckless, and Meis barely had time to react before the whole building was crashing down on them, taking the Freeze Force and Gueira with it.

“You could’ve gotten killed! Or captured!” He sees the way Gueira was hurt, blood trickling through his hair and dripping down the side of his face, and doing a poor job of hiding a limp. It’s already starting to heal, but the image of what could’ve happened keeps coming up to him, even if he does everything he can to push it away, to ignore the tightness in his chest. 

“So what do you care, huh? It’s none of your business if I do.” The words sting, and Gueira clearly wants them to. 

The both of them had been chosen by the Burnish to lead them, but their relationship has been… difficult, to say the least. Gueira clearly doesn’t like him, and even though they always get the job done, there’s still visible tension between them. In the brief moments of calm where they could rest, Gueira stays away from him. Meis doesn’t push it, focusing instead on making sure everyone else is alright. 

And if he ever catches Gueira staring at him, he pretends not to.

He’s tired, and there are still Burnish to check on after the fight, so he takes a deep breath, through the knot in his throat, and turns away from Gueira. “If you’re not going to do it for yourself, at least do it for them. They’re counting on you.” He doesn’t look back before walking away, and Gueira doesn’t follow. Inside his pocket, the old keychain feels heavier than ever.

****

_ Meis ignored his mother’s call as he ran out of the house, going as fast as his legs would take him, in fear of being caught by her or his tutor. He hated piano lessons, they were hard and his tutor would get angry whenever he missed a note. His mother insisted that it was good for him, just like she said about swimming lessons, and calligraphy, and English, and math. “It’s good for you,” she’d say with no other explanation, and Meis disliked all of them. It would be pointless anyway when they had to move and he would have to start over with new teachers. Again.  _

_ He was a good boy, though, and he tried his best, but sometimes it took the best of him. So he ran. He didn’t stop until he was sure he was far enough from the house and his legs started to hurt. He had gotten up to the woods, and in the back of his mind he could hear his mother’s warning about getting lost in there. He didn’t want her to find him, though. He’d probably be able to find his way out.  _

_ He walked through the woods for a while, watching his step over fallen logs and overgrown roots, until he reached a clearing, the trees stopping suddenly, giving way to an area covered in nothing but grass, sunshine coming down clearly through the treetops. It was quiet, and it seemed like a good place to stop.  _

_ Meis sat under the shadow of a tree, absentmindedly pulling out some of the grass blades. He wanted to cry. It would be pointless, though, so he pressed his forehead against his knees and closed his eyes. _

*

_ “Hey.” _

_ Meis felt something poking the top of his head, softly at first and then more insistent, until he opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep at some point, the sunshine and the gentle sounds of the woods lulling him.  _

_ “What are you doing here? This is my spot.” _

_ He had to rub his eyes with the back of his hand before looking up at the boy in front of him. He was just about his age, no older than seven. “You own this place?” _

_ For a moment, the other boy looked surprised to see his face, before crossing his arms across his chest, proud. “Of course I do!” He smiled at him, all teeth. “I come here to play all the time.” _

_ “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t want to play the piano anymore,” he offered as an explanation for his intrusion, which only seemed to make the boy confused, though he didn’t ask about it. _

_ “What’s your name?” _

_ “Meis.” _

_ “Meis,” the boy repeated, trying the name out. “You’re pretty. I’m Gueira.” _

****

Meis goes to the part of the abandoned building that he calls his room, a makeshift curtain the only thing that separates him from the other Burnish, a poor attempt at privacy. Finally alone he takes out the little keychain he carries around everywhere. It’s old and worn down, the white plush rabbit looking more gray than anything else now, and missing an eye to boot. Despite everything, he hasn’t been able to get rid of it.

He thinks again how it must be a cruel joke that they ended up here. Of all people, it had to be Gueira.

He doesn’t remember, but Meis can’t forget.

****

_ He was still new in town, and he had gone farther into the woods than he thought. In the end, Gueira had to help him get home. _

_ “Don’t worry, we’ll find the way!” He sounded sure of himself, reassuring when Meis started looking worried about being lost. His smile was warm when he slipped his hand in Meis’, tugging him along to show him the way out. “I don’t know how to play the piano, but you can come here again. I’ll even let you play with my cars!”  _

_ It took another week for Meis to go back to the clearing, but when he did, Gueira was already there, sitting right in the sun with a toy plane in his hands. Next time, it only took him three days to go and find him. Then two. Until he was looking for excuses everyday to get out of the house. Gueira was always there, always with a different toy. Sometimes he brought two, sometimes Meis took one of his reading books. Gueira was terrible at reading, so he made sure to take ones with pictures so he could show him. _

_ Meis didn’t talk a lot, but Gueira did, and he quickly learnt everything about him, how he was only six months younger than Meis, about his old dog and his many toys and about the ugly bug he had seen that day.  _

_ The little clearing wasn’t much, but it was  _ theirs _. Meis was thankful for it, for the welcome break from his many classes and chores, and for the thing that quickly grew and took root between them. It felt like growing up, taking a hold of him before he even noticed. _

****

Being with Gueira was hard sometimes. At best, their disagreements are small and Meis usually finds a way to compromise before it escalates. At their worst, their fights are loud and all consuming, vibrating through whatever hideout they’re using. It’s violent, pushing through their fingertips, fire taking over, and the other Burnish know better than to get in the way. 

“You want to get us killed?!” They’re still in full armor, and his voice sounds distorted through it. “Don’t ever do that again!”

Meis is angry, but Gueira is fuming, steam coming off him in waves, and Meis barely avoids the punch he throws him. “Don’t tell me what to do!”

They had the Freeze Force at their heels, but Meis knew they’d get away. It wasn’t the first time and definitely wouldn’t be the last, a detour would be more than enough. Until Gueira decided to act cocky, teasing them on his bike. 

Meis heard the shot before he saw it, and when he turned to look Gueira was already on the floor, covered in ice. His heart dropped to his stomach and his whole body went cold, thought  _ this is it,  _ thought  _ not him.  _ Before he knew what he was doing, he was already moving, blue flames engulfing everything around them so he could reach him, keep him safe. 

“How do you expect to lead anyone if you can’t even keep yourself safe!” He can feel the air around them getting warmer and knows the Burnish are watching them fight, but he’s angry. Angry at Gueira for risking himself, at himself for letting it happen. “You’re not impressing anyone!”

The groan Gueira gives is guttural and angry. “I told you to mind your own business! You don’t even care!” Gueira charges at him before he can respond, sending him flying back with a fall that knocks the air out of his lungs.

Gueira’s stronger than him, his armor much bigger, and Meis feels rather than sees the places where his armor cracks with the impact. A spot on his shoulder and one on his hip where he feels the cool air on his skin. He tries getting up, fully expecting Gueira to charge at him again, but when he looks up Gueira’s completely still, as if shocked, staring at a spot on the ground next to Meis.

When he looks, he feels his whole body go cold, staring at the old keychain thrown a few meters to his right, no doubt from the impact that cracked his armor. For a second, neither of them move, staring at the old bunny like it would run off if scared. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Gueira move, taking a step forward, and Meis moves before he knows it, rushing to pick the thing up. Before Gueira gets a chance to say anything, Meis is already on his bike, driving away. 

Gueira doesn’t follow.

****

_ “I got you something.” Gueira said, sounding excited when he reached into his pocket. “I got it at the festival!” His smile was warm as he presented the keychain, a small white bunny attached to it. It had black eyes and a pink X that was supposed to be a mouth. Gueira looked proud. ”I shot a plastic duck and won it for you.” _

_ Meis found himself staring at the little bunny in his hands, its fur soft against his skin. He didn’t speak, just looking down at it, cupped carefully in his palms like something precious. _

_ “You don’t like it?” Gueira’s voice broke his train of thought, and when Meis looked back at him his smile was gone, looking worried. He didn’t like that look on him. He nodded once, and instead of replying he quickly reached for his backpack, frantically looking inside for the small phone his mother gave him in case of an emergency. Attached to it was a small plastic phone charm, a little blue shark hanging by a string. Gueira watched with interest as Meis carefully removed it from his phone.  _

_ “Here. For you.” When Meis gave him the charm, Gueira’s smile got brighter than he had ever seen it, and all the air in his lungs got punched out of him as he was pulled into a hug, and a chaste kiss was pressed against his lips, just like he had seen his parents do. _

*

_ “Mother, please! I have to go!  _ Please _!” _

_ That night Meis had cried and begged for his mother to let him out, but it was pointless. Their things had already been packed during the day, even all his clothes and his books.  _

_ He  _ had _ to see Gueira. He had to say goodbye. _

_ In the end, he couldn’t find a way to get out of the house, and he passed the 15 hour drive to their new house fighting back tears, the bunny tightly clutched in his hands. _

****

He doesn’t know how far away he drives before he stops, maybe an hour across the desert, maybe more. It’s almost sunset when he does, skidding to a halt just by the edge of a cliff. He sits there, slowly watching the sun slip down below the horizon, darkness taking over. 

He knows he fucked up. He had convinced himself Gueira didn’t even remember him, but the recognition in his face when he saw the keychain was obvious. “So he just doesn’t want anything to do with me, huh?” He has always felt dumb talking to it.

He doesn’t know how much time passes before he hears the bike, the purr of the four wheeler unmistakable. He doesn’t look at Gueira as he moves to sit next to him, surprisingly calm compared to their fight before. Neither of them speak for a while, and frankly, Meis wouldn’t even know what to say.

Meis didn’t talk a lot, but Gueira did. It’s almost a surprise when he breaks the silence between them. “Look.” Meis looks up at him, and then to Gueira’s outstretched hand, and a gasp gets caught in his throat. In his palm he holds a little plastic shark, slightly damaged with age, and looking smaller now in Gueira’s hand. Meis looks at it like he’s imagining it, like a sick joke his mind made up.

“Wha-”

“You just never came back. I thought you just didn’t want to see me again.” It’s not until then that Meis finally looks at Gueira’s face. He looks calm, if only a little sad, and he realizes it’s the first time he’s seen that look on him.

“No! No, I… We had to move again, my father got a new job. I tried to say goodbye, but they… didn’t let me go back.“ It feels so weird to him now, trying to explain something that happened so long ago. The world has changed by now, those little boys seeming so different from the Mad Burnish leaders. Still, Meis hadn’t been able to let it go.

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I thought you didn’t remember. Honestly, I thought you hated me.”

Gueira looks at him then, shaking his head, and the look he gives him is softer and more honest than he’s ever seen. “I couldn’t.”

It’s been many years since they first met, but seeing Gueira smile at him, bright and all teeth, he thinks they’re still the same after all. Meis never really believed in fate, but when Gueira stretches his hand out to help him up, tells him “come on, they’re waiting for us,” he wonders if maybe that’s what this is.

**Author's Note:**

> I debated posting this but I hope you guys can enjoy it!
> 
> Find me on [twitter](http://twitter.com/yuriotabk) and [pillowfort ](http://pillowfort.social/otayuri)!


End file.
